NFL WEEK THREE PICKS

I suffered one of my worst prediction weeks ever, but I probably wasn't alone. There were some stunners and frankly, I'm still  just under .500. This week's games begin with a good one from the NFC East.

Last Week: 5 - 11
Overall: 15 - 17

Washington (1 - 1) 24 @ New York Giants (0 - 2) 20: (From a previous post) The NFC East is suddenly more interesting, given the injuries to the Cowboys' top two offensive players and the slow start by the Eagles. The other two teams in the division do battle tonight in the Meadowlands. The Redskins lost in week one to a decent Miami team on a punt return for a touchdown, then surprised many with a strong performance against the Rams, who were coming off a big victory over Seattle. The Giants could easily be 2 - 0, blowing two big fourth quarter leads to Dallas and Atlanta. That being said, Eli Manning isn't getting the ball down the field and I think Washington's defense is pretty good. If Kirk Cousins can create some big plays, the 'Skins could make it tough for New York to score enough points to pull out a win. This is a fierce rivalry, as most of them are in this division. Wide receivers DeSean Jackson of Washington and Victor Cruz for the Giants are both out of this game due to injury. Those are a couple of big weapons that will be on the sidelines, which will put more pressure on the quarterbacks to make some plays. I think the difference will be the ability of the Redskins' defense to stifle the Giants, who are three point favorites because they're playing at home.

Cincinnati (2 – 0) 20 @ Baltimore (0 – 2) 23 : The Ravens laid an egg in Oakland last week and while the Bengals haven’t lost, they haven’t been particularly impressive. I like the Ravens to get in the win column at home today.

Oakland (1 – 1) 24 @ Cleveland (1 – 1) 27: The Raiders finally hit the road and head to Cleveland, where Johnnie Manziel will return to back up duty after leading the Browns to a win last week.

New Orleans (0 – 2) 21 @ Carolina (2 – 0) 27: Is it possible for the Saints to be 0 – 3, continuing the demise of the Drew Brees era? Pretty much.

Atlanta (2 – 0) 23 @ Dallas (2 – 0) 27: The Cowboys are without their top two offensive players and host a rejuvenated Falcons team. Dallas is just trying to stay afloat until QB Tony Roma and WR Dez Bryant return from injury.  Brandon Wheeden replaces Romo and needs to be much more effective than he was last year.

Tampa Bay (1 – 1) 20 @ Houston (0 – 2) 24: Jameis Winston got his first win as a pro last week at New Orleans. Now he heads a little farther west to see if he can make it two in a row. I think Houston will get on the board this week.

Indianapolis (0 – 2) 27 @ Tennessee (1 – 1) 23:  You have to think that the Colts will get this figured out eventually, don’t you? Maybe they can do it against a rookie QB.

Jacksonville (1 – 1) 17 @ New England (2 – 0) 30: Brady has the Pats on a roll and I don’t expect them to stub their toe at home.

San Diego (1 – 1) 24 @ Minnesota (1 – 1) 28: The Chargers are flying a little under the radar, but the Vikes seem to have gotten back in offensive synch.

Philadelphia (0 – 2) 17 @ New York Jets (2 – 0) 20: It’s hard to believe that the Eagles would start out 0 – 3, but it’s also tough to think that the Jets could be 3 – 0. Decisions, decisions!

Pittsburgh (1 – 1)27 @ St. Louis (1 – 1) 24: The Steelers can put up some points and I think they’ll be able to score enough to get out of St. Louis with an important win.

San Francisco (1 – 1) 17 @ Arizona (2 – 0) 27: When Carson Palmer is healthy, which he is, the Cardinals are among the best teams in the league. The 49ers were exposed against the Steelers and I doubt  the home team will be defeated.

Buffalo (1 – 1) 24 @ Miami (1 – 1) 20: This is the Bills’ first road game under Rex Ryan. The Dolphins were surprised by the Jags last week and both of these teams need to win if they hope to contend in the AFC East.

Chicago (0 – 2) 16 @ Seattle (0 – 2) 27: The Seahawks faced a brutal schedule in their first two games. They return home, and with safety Kam Chancellor.

Denver (2 – 0) 31 @ Detroit (0 – 2) 27: Can the Broncos continue to win despite a diminished Peyton Manning? I guess we’ll find out.

Don't forget to check out my new book, "Roughing the Passer - A PK Frazier Novel" and my first, "Illegal Procedure - A PK Frazier Novel", available in print and e-formats at Amazon.com, iBooks and Smashwords. The third installment, "Offsetting Penalties" is due out in the fall.